What is Wrong — and Right — With the Role of Faith in American Politics Today?

What is wrong — and right — with the role of faith in American politics today?

Several Patheos bloggers took a shot at answering this question before the November 6 election. To be honest, I’m more interested in what you think.

Before we devise a plan for what we’re going to do, let’s stop and ask ourselves how we got here. This question is a good one for beginning the process of thinking that through.

You may have noticed that what I’m doing with Public Catholic is building. I am trying to build a community of thinking, committed Christians who can take on the culture of death and win. Before we can do that, we’ve got a lot of thinking and a lot of learning to do.

I want to focus specifically on what is wrong and right about the way Christians and Christianity have conducted themselves in the political process. People who are not Christians are welcome to participate if they offer constructive thoughts and forgo diatribes and canned attacks on Christians and Christianity. It’s ok to talk about ways that you feel the Church in particular or Christianity in general have failed or succeeded in their political activities. Just do it in a constructive, idea-generating way.

Jesus said, “By their fruits you shall know them.”

What fruits do you feel that 40 years of Christian political activism have borne? Why do you feel this way?

What, in your opinion, is wrong — and right — with the role of faith in American politics today?